See the True Taiwan: an insiders guide

Pingxi is an area this blog has discussed before with a overview of the Shifen waterfall. On a recent trip back there it was discovered the waterfall is no longer a pay-to-see attraction and now has new viewing platforms. You can see the whole article about that here . Pingxi is also a township located farther down the rail line, and river, from Keelung than Shifen, and is worth a stop on a day that includes Houtong, Shifen, Pingxi, and Jingtong. It's a one day trip through mining towns and market streets where you're surrounded by nature at every turn. View from the 106. The big reason to come out this far is it's incredibly picturesque. The little village is nestled in the mountains, sits above several tributaries as they form the Keelung river, and is surrounded by great hikes which lead to numerous waterfalls. Take the initiative to get away from the old street, since each town has one which is nearly identical, and enjoy the area around it. If you're...

Every year on the fifteenth and final day of the lunar new year a small temple in Neihu fills the winter night with massive columns of smoke and fire while packs of people crowd into the narrow lanes west of the BiHu park. It's loud, smoky, and a little bit dangerous in all the ways you'd expect a good Chinese New Year festival to be. Plumes of smoke and fire make for good times Many years ago when I'd first arrived in Taiwan I got brought to this this festival on a whim by a friend who thought it'd impress me. And impress it most certainly did.  For many people being in Taiwan during Chinese New Year is a little bit of a letdown compared to western expectations about the holiday. Neihu's take on the lantern festival is certainly a welcome nod to the noisy parade you were expecting to see. Selfies at the tiny temple on Neihu Road which hosts the event. For those only spending one new year in Taipei there is a choice to be made between this firec...